Now in its eighth year, the Mentor Police Department’s Retail Theft Deterrence Program continues to make an impact. This holiday season, plainclothes officers will patrol participating stores as well as surveil the parking lot in unmarked cars. If they, or a Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) witness a theft, an arrest can be quickly made.
“We continue to support this program because of the positive effect it has on deterring criminal activity in our retail locations, and making the community a safer place to shop,” says Mentor Police Chief Ken Gunsch.
The program proven so successful that other departments across the country have used it as a model.
The initiative was developed in 2014 by a Mentor patrolman who recognized the correlation between theft rings and drug abuse. Thieves will typically steal high-value items that they can flip quickly to feed their habit.
Mentor Municipal Court Judge John Trebets asserts that shoplifting is a community-killer. As an innovator in the drug court movement, he has made a concerted effort to get users the help they need while maximizing the sentence for repeat offenders. Sentencing on a first offense depends on numerous factors. A second offense may result in a six-month sentence. Those arrested can also be charged with trespassing if they’re ever found in the store again.
The City of Mentor is the sixth largest retail destination in the State of Ohio with over 300 retailers and 175 eateries. The retail industry plays an important role in the City’s economy with over $1.9 billion in sales generated annually so keeping shoppers safe is a high priority for Mentor Police.
Forward thinking programs like this, the City’s Porch Pirate detail, FLOCK camera system, and Operation SCRAM, are ways that Mentor Police continue to stay ahead of criminals and keep shoppers safe in our community.